The Bangladesh interim government has escalated its efforts to extradite former Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, as the Dhaka International Crimes Tribunal issued another arrest warrant against her on Wednesday.
The three-member bench, led by Tribunal Chairman Golam Mortaza Majumder, ordered Hasina and several other accused to appear before the court on May 20.
This latest warrant follows a previous one issued in October last year, which prompted the Bangladesh government to formally request India's cooperation in extraditing Hasina. Additionally, Dhaka sought Interpol’s intervention, requesting a Red Corner Notice against Hasina.
The charges stem from an incident on May 5-6, 2013, when the radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam staged a mass protest in Dhaka's Motijheel. Security forces reportedly carried out an operation to disperse the demonstrators, leading to allegations of extrajudicial killings and disappearances. However, Hasina’s government has consistently denied these claims, calling them politically motivated fabrications.
According to sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Bangladesh's ruling authorities are using these legal proceedings as leverage to intensify pressure on India to hand over Hasina. “By framing the case as a mass murder trial, Dhaka seeks to strengthen its case before Interpol, reinforcing its demand for a Red Corner Notice,” said an MEA official.
An Awami League joint general secretary criticised the move, stating, "The Bangladesh government has fabricated a web of lies over the past seven months. A mountain of false cases has been piled up in courts. If the allegations of mass killings were true, where are the reports from victims' families? No complaints were filed with the police or the judiciary at the time."
The case also implicates former police chief Benazir Ahmed, ex-State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku, and other high-ranking officials from Hasina’s tenure. Many within the Awami League believe these legal maneuvers are intended to legitimize long-standing political allegations against Hasina, strengthening Dhaka’s diplomatic push for her return.
Previously, Dhaka sent a note verbal to Delhi seeking Hasina’s extradition. The Union government acknowledged the communication but India decided not to respond.
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